December 22, 2009|By Ramin Mostaghim and Borzou Daragahi, Tribune Newspapers and Mostaghim reported from Tehran and Daragahi reported from Beirut.

TEHRAN, Iran — Tens of thousands of opposition supporters took to the streets in Iran's main theological center on Monday and clashed with pro-government militiamen during the funeral of the country's top dissident cleric, Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri.

The demonstration was significant both for its important location and its merging of several currents within Iran's population. It drew older supporters of Montazeri from smaller cities and towns in the countryside as well as young middle-class urbanites from the capital.

Mourners in the city of Qom moved in a massive stream from Montazeri's home to the shrine of Fatemeh Masoumeh, where the late cleric was laid to rest. They chanted anti-government slogans and carried green ribbons and banners signifying allegiance to the opposition movement that sprang out of disputed June presidential elections.

As the ceremony concluded, Montazeri's son, Ahmad, asked mourners to disperse peacefully out of respect for the family. But there were a few reports of clashes between people in the crowd and at least some of the security forces that had flooded the city.

According to reformist news Web sites, pro-government militiamen pulled down a funerary banner honoring Montazeri, who died Saturday at age 87, and physically prevented his supporters from holding a smaller evening ceremony at a Qom mosque.

Hundreds of government supporters gathered near Montazeri's home chanted slogans in support of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to news Web sites. Security intervened to prevent clashes between government supporters and mourners.

Official Iranian media gave limited coverage to the death and funeral of Montazeri, who helped lead the Islamic Revolution three decades ago but later broke with its leaders. Authorities did not grant foreign media based in Tehran permission to travel to Qom.

The death coincides with a key period on the Shiite calendar, and confrontations between protesters and the government were expected.

Montazeri supporters and opposition activists began pouring into Qom on Sunday, many arriving from the cleric's hometown of Najafabad.

Starting at 8 a.m. Monday, cries of "Ya Hossein! Mir Hossein" in support of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi and "Death to the dictator" could be heard near Montazeri's home, according to witnesses and amateur video footage posted on the Internet.

Wrapped in black cloth and mounted atop a truck also draped in black, Montazeri's body emerged about 9 a.m. to be taken slowly to the shrine for burial, witnesses said.